Folding bedstead.



PATENTED AUG. 30, 190,4.

S. W. KNTT.

FOLDING BEDSTEAD. APPLIOATION Hmmv JUNE 17, 190s.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

NO MODEL.

QM, QN

f' Slimme/13 wi neooeo No. 758,757. PATENTED AUG. 80, 1904.

S. W. KNOTT.

FOLDING BEDSTEAD.

APyLIoATIoN FILED JUNE 17, 1903. No MODEL. s SHEBTSSHBBT z.

PATENTED AUG. 30, 1904.

S. W. KNGTT. FOLDING BEDSTEAD. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1?-, 1903.

m W `m 5 www .Vlg m -m. L y @M m w w w i UNrTEn STATES Patented August 30, 1904.

FAT-Enr EErcE.

FOLDING. BEDSTEAD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 768,757, dated August 30, 1904.

Application filed June 17, 1903. Serial No. 161,918. lNo model.)

T0 LH whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, SAMUEL WV. KNOTT, a citizen of the United States, residing` at Denver, in the county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented new and useful Improvements in Folding Bedsteads, of which the following is a specification.

rlhis invention relates to folding beds, the object in view being' to provide a simple, light, portable, and folding' all-metal bed, the construction of which will admit of the bed being compactly folded when notin use and partially taken apart and still more compactly folded for the purpose of storage and transportation.

It is also an object of this invention, while securing the advantages above referred to, to produce a bed of maximum strength with minimum weight of material, whereby the folding' and other handling of the bed is materially facilitated without in any way detracting from the appearance and durability of the bed as a whole.

lilith the above and other objects in view, the nature of which will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

1n the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a folding' bed constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig'. 2 is an end view of the same,showing the head of the bed folded for storage and transportation with the bottom detached. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the bed when folded into its ordinary closed condition. Fig. 4 is a view in eleva-tion of the foot portion of the bed. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section through the foot portion of the bed. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view of the bedbottom. F ig. 7 is a detail perspective view of a portion of the bed-bottom, showing also a portion of the head of the bed partly broken away to better illustrate certain features. Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view yof a modified form of bed especially adapted for mantelbeds and for childrens use and to serve as a mantel when folded. Fig'. 9 is a detail view of the T-coupling. Fig. 10 is a detail view showing the connection between the detachable brace and the knee-legs.

Like reference-numerals designate corresponding parts'in all figures of the drawings. The folding bed contemplated in this invention comprises, essentially, a pair of head posts.

or standards 1, preferably tubular and provided with casters 2 at the bottom. At a suitable height the standards 1 are provided with knees 3, which are bent to extend downwardly and form auxiliary legs or standards 11, the lower portions of which are bent slightly toward the foot of the bed and then downward in the form of ogee curves, as shown at 5, and provided with supporting-casters 6, thus oarrying the point of support of the linee-legs to the rear of the plane of the legs proper. Inserted in the upper end of eachof the tubular standards 1 is a canopy-post 7. To the upper extremities of the posts 7 are connected the two extremities of a canopy-frame 8, which is three-sided, as shown, and which projects rearward anydesired distance over the bed. The extremities of the frame 8 are bent inward toward each other and pivotally received at 9 in openings inA the upper ends of the posts 7. Just below the frame 8 and running parallel therewith is a curtain-rod 10, bent in the same form as the canopy-frame and also pivotally connected at 11 with the canopy-posts 7.

12 designates a pair of canopy-braces pivotally connected at 13 to the posts 7, while their upper ends are received in socket-pieces 14, connected with the canopy-frame. The frame 8 is provided about centrally with a curtainrod hook 15, with which said curtain-rod may be engaged for holding' the same beneath and parallel with'the canopy-frame 8 in a manner clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3.

1n order to fold the canopy-frame and curtain-rod, said frame is lifted until the upper extremities of the braces 12 are disengaged v from the socket-pieces 14C. The braces mayI then be folded downward alongside the standards 1 and the canopy-frame and curtain-rod may be folded downward against the head of the bed, as shown in Fig'. 2.

The head of the bed comprises, essentially, a lower head-rail 16 and an upper head-rail 17,

which may be connected by suitable metal work 18, as shown. The head-panel thus formed is provided at its upper end with outward extensions 19, inserted through openings in the posts7 just above the tubularstandards 1, thus, together with the canopy-frame and braces, preventing the canopy-posts 7 from turning. The lower head-rail 16 is provided at its ends with hollow T-conplings 20, containing horizontal slots 21, in which work pins 22, carried by the standards 1, the slots 21 being of suflicient length to admit of a quarterturn of the standards 1 within the head-coup.- lings 20, the object of such arrangei'nent being' to allow the knee-legs 4 to be folded inward toward each other and flatwise against the head of the bed in a manner illustrated in Fig. 2. The pin-and-slot arrangement at 21 and 22 serves to limit the outward movement of the knee-legs 4 and hold the same exactly at right angles to the bead of the bed, the knee-legs being sustained in that position by means of a detachable cross-bar 23, provided at its opposite ends with openings 24, which fit over the upturncd extremities 25 of a rung or brace 26, which connects the main standards with the knee-legs, one end of said rung being' inserted through the knee-leg and then upturncd to form the extremity 25, with which one end of the cross-bar 23 engages.

Located above the rungs 26 are other parallel rungs, 27, the forward ends of which are inserted through the knee-legs 4 and then bent downward, as shown in Fig. 7 to form eyes 28, the extremities of which are fastened at 29 to the knee-legs. The eyes 28 are adapted to receive hooks 30 on the side rails of the bed-bottom support, hereinafter described and as shown in Fig. 7. The bed-bottom comprises a substantially rectangular frame composed, by preference, of metal tub- I ing. A piece of metal tubing of the requisite size and length is bent in the form of athreesided frame to form the side rails 31 and the foot-bar 32 of the bed-bottom, as shown in Fig. 1. By preference the side rails 31 are not bent quite far enough to bring them in parallel relation until their free ends are joined, so that when the free ends thereof are brought together the parts 31 and 32 will have a slight outward bow or bend for the purpose of giving stiffness and additional support to the rest of the bed-bottom hereinafter described. The extremities of the side rails are provided with eyes for the purpose of receivi ing pins or other suitable fasteners 33, which pins are also received in corresponding eyes or openings in thc opposite ends of a headbar 34, it being necessary to bend the side rails 31 inward until said pins can be inserted in the openings referred to.

The inner or head portion of the bottom frame is supported upon the rests 35, formed by the in wa idly-projecting portions of the upper rungs 27, as best illustrated in Fig. 7, the said rests 35 forming fulcrums upon which the bottom of the bed turns during the folding operation of the bed. Connected to the opposite end of the bed-bottom frame is a double U-shaped foot-leg 36, the extremities of which extend upward and are pivotally connected at 37 to the side rails 31. To the lower portion of the leg 36 are connected tl-shaped feet 38, while interposed between the crossbar portion of the foot-leg and the detachable cross-bar 23 are swing-braces 39, having a loose pivot connection at their opposite ends with the parts referred to, whereby the foot ofthe bed may be elevated and moved toward the head of the bed, the bed-bottom frame fulcruming on the rests 35, while by reason ofthe swing-braces 39 maintaining a parallel relation to the bed-bottom the foot portion of the bed is caused to maintain Aa substantially vertical position at all times and. to fold upward against the head of the bed without varying its vertical position.

40 designates the foot-rail of the bed, the end portions 41 of which are bent and extended forward and connected to the side rails 31. The bent extremities of the parts 41 may constitute the pivots upon which the extremities of the foot-legs 36 are mounted, if so desired, and as indicated in Fig. l. Extending downward from the upperv portion of the foot-rail 40 are rods 42, bent at their lower ends and extending through the footbar 32, where they are provided with eyes 43 to receive hooks 44, which connect with a stretcher 45, to which is connected one end of the wovenwire bed-bottom 46, the opposite end of which is connected to a similar stretcher-bar 47, to which are connected adjustable hooks 48, which engage the head-rail 16 of the bed. By preference the shanks of the hooks 48 are threaded to engage nuts 49 on the stretcherbar 47 so as to take up the slack in the wovenwire bed-bottom and keep the same taut.

1n order to form a central support for the woven-wire bed-bottom, wires or like rods 5() are extended across and lengthwise of the bedbottom frame, as shown in Fig. 1, said wires being connected at their other ends to the side rails 31 and end bars 32 and 34, and being held taut by the outward bow or spring of said parts of the bed-bottom frame. Vllhen the wires 50 are connected up with the side and end portions of the bed-bottom frame, they serve to hold the side rails 31 parallel to each other, while the lengthwise tension of the bed-bottom also serves to hold the footbar 32 straight and at right angles to the side rails.

From the foregoing' description it will be understood that the bed-bottom is fulcrumed r intermediate its ends, which greatly assists in folding the bed from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3.v

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son sits on the edge ofthe bed. rlhe wovenwire bottom is detachably connected to the h'ead-rail-by hooks, so that the bed may be taken down easily and quickly for packing and shipment, all that is necessary being to disconnect the hooks 48 and detach the cross-l bar 23. The auxiliary or knee legs may then be folded toward each other and against the head-piece, after which the canopy may be dropped down, so as to lie against the bead of the bed. The bowed and trussed frame enables lighter material to be used in the manufacture of the bed than is possible under the ordinary construction of beds of this character.

By means of the construction described the foot and head frames of the bed, as well as the bottom frame, &c., may be closely nested together for storage and transportation. By forming the bed-bottom frame in one piece with bent corners heavy castings are dispensed with, the construction cheapened, and the weight materially reduced. The feet 38, connected with the foot-frame` by reason of the practical shape illustrated serve to brace the-` foot of the bed against side motion.

In Fig. 8 a shelf 51 is employed in lieu of the canopy-frame hereinabove described, said shelf serving as 'a mantel and also as a sup port for the canopy or mosquito-bar. Under the arrangement shown in said ligure, the bed is especially adapted for childrens use, thus enabling the shelf l tobe supported at a sufiiciently low elevation to constitute a mantel.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is-m l. In a folding bed, the combination of head-posts having' a partial rotative adjustment, a pair of knee-legs extending rearwardly from the posts and connected directly thereto so as to fold inward and lie between the headposts, and a folding bed-bottom removablyv the knee-legs and arranged parallel with the bed-bottom frame, substantiallyas described.

nected therewith so as to fold inward and lie between the head-posts, a bed-bottom frame detachably .fulcrumed intermediate its ends on said knee-legs, a foot-piece having a pivotal connection with the bed-bottom frame, a cross-bar detachably connected with the kneelegs, and swing braces interposed between said foot-piece and said cross-bar, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. A folding bed, comprising a head-piece embodying posts, knee-legs connected therewith and mounted so as to swing around the main posts as a center, a detachable bar connecting said knee-legs, and a bed-bottom frame detachably fulcrumed intermediate its ends on said knee-legs, substantially as described.

5. A folding bed, comprising a head-piece embodying tubular posts, both of which are partially rotatable, ahead-rail having slotted T-couplings at its end, pins on the posts working in said slots, knee-legs connected directly to said posts and-adapted to be swung toward and away from the head-piece, and an endwisethe said head-piece.

7. In a folding bed, a head-piece, comprising tubular head-posts and canopy posts mounted in said head-posts foldable toward the head-piece,a detachable head-panel hav- IOO ing eXtensionsat its upper portioninserted V through openings in the canopy-posts, and a bed-bottom connected to and also foldabletoward the head-piece.

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8. In a folding bed, the combination with a head-piece, and knee-legs connected there-- with, of a bed-bottom frame consisting of a metal bar bent to form a three-sided frame, the side portions of which diverge toward their extremities, a bar to which -theextremities of the side portions are Vconnected when sprung inward, and truss wires or'rods interposed between and connecting the opposite parallel portions of said kbedbottom frame so as to hold the same substantially parallel,

substantially as and for the purpose set forth. l

9. In a folding bed, the combination with a head-piece comprising posts, and knee-legs connected therewith, of a bed-bottom frame consisting-of a metal bar bent to form a three- IO frame, all foldable toward the same,and braces pivotally connected with the head-posts and detachably connected with the Canopy-frame, whereby the canopy-frame may be folded downward against the head-piece.

1n testimony whereof I afix my signature in I 5 presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL W. KNOTT. Witnesses:

CHAS. E. DODDRIDGE, S. SALONE BROOKE. 

